January 30, 2010

Some general managers can’t fill a team’s needs in the offseason, even if they do have the money to spend. Then there’s Brian Cashman.

All he did was bring in a young center fielder and a durable starting pitcher through trades and signed a guy in his prime for DH. He did this without giving up either of the Yankees’ top three young players, and didn’t have to spend much money.

Still, fans complain he didn’t convince the big guns upstairs to sign Johnny Damon. Well, as I noted yesterday, Cashman did convince them to go $4 million over their budget. It’s Damon’s fault he’s not a Yankee. Not Cashman’s.

So Cashman had no choice but to stop pursuing in the guy everyone wanted for a huge increase in production, but also a huge downgrade in defense for left field.

Instead, he settled with Brett Gardner, a guy who still has time to develop into the dangerous leadoff man he projected to be as a young prospect. And to put the cherry on top, Cashman brought in a veteran, Randy Winn, to back Gardner up if he really starts stinkin’ up the joint. He did that in less than a week after Damon turned down his offer.

There are no holes on this roster. Hats off to Cashman, and stop whining if you’re still whining.